Ribbon charging apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for feeding elastic ribbon to a machine for the automatic manufacture of annular ribbons, the machine being of the type in which a preselected length of ribbon is cut off and the severed ends are then joined. The ribbon feeding apparatus includes means for ensuring that the ribbon as it is fed for cutting is not under tension to ensure thereby that successive portions are cut of the same length.

United States Patent 1191 Andersson 1 1 Sept. 9, 1975 [54] RIBBON CHARGING APPARATUS 3.448.707 6/1969 Thumscn Ill/121.26 3.742.882 7/1973 Wren 112/217 [76] Inventor: Sven Gerhard Andersson.

L -k'1 .s *d .45010 Jungs lc wt en Prinum- Emmim-r-Rzchard J. Scanlan, Jr. [22] Filed: Apr. 24. 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Poilock, Philpitt & Vande [211 App]. No.: 354,037 Sand:

52 us. Cl. ll2/l2l.27 1571 ABSTRACT (51 Int. Cl. D0 23/00 Apparatus for feeding elastic ribbon to a machine for 1 1 Fkld of Search 1 131-261 the automatic manufacture of annular ribbons, the 33/48- 49 machine being of the type in which a preselected length of ribbon is cut off and the severed ends are 1 1 References Cited then joined. The ribbon feeding apparatus includes UNITED STATES PATENTS means for ensuring that the ribbon as it is fed for cut- 2 055.470 M936 Andcmm c L H l 13/217 ting is nut under tension to ensure thereby that succes- 2955554 10/1960 Harris 12/21? Sivc Porlivns are cut of the Same length- 3,426.7U8 2/196) Andcrsson Ill/121126 3,443,532 5/1969 Pusey ct a1 III/121,26 6 2 Drawing figures PATENTEU 1975 sumlufz RIBBON CHARGING APPARATUS This invention relates to a charging apparatus for ribbons, preferably elastic ribbons, in a machine for automatic manufacture of annular ribbons. The machine may be of the kind as disclosed in the US. Pat. No. 3,426,708, or of developments of said machine, or other machines for said automatic manufacture.

1n the manufacture of, for example, elastic ribbons, the ribbons in order to become stiff and uniform are, subsequent to the braiding machine, subjected to a finishing process, which includes the steps of heating, adding of sizing agent, and drying. As this process, however, is expensive, the elastic ribbons, which in their application position are concealed in most cases by being sewn in, are often delivered by manufacturers without having been passed through said process. The ribbons, consequently, are crumpled and uneven. Another costsaving method is to pass the ribbons without subjecting them to a finishing process directly from the braiding machine into a barrel and to deliver the ribbons in this way, different from ribbons which have been passed through said finishing process and are wound on rolls.

In the automatic manufacture of elastic ribbons, as mentioned above, it is essential to obtain uniform ribbons of equal size. This has been a difficult problem to solve and has required much development work, irrespective of whether the ribbons had or had not been subjected to a finishing process, but particularly in the latter case. This problem has now been solved by the present invention.

The characterizing features of the invention become apparent from the accompanying claims.

The invention is described in greater detail in the following by way of an embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawing, which in FIG. 1 shows a lateral view of a charging apparatus according to the invention, and in FIG. 2 shows on an enlarged scale a section along the line "-11 in FIG. 1.

A stand for the machine which sews together ribbon lengths to rings is shown at 1. Such a machine, for example, is of the kind as disclosed in the US. Pat. No. 3,426,708, or of developments thereof or any other machine for automatic manufacture of elastic ribbons, primarily of rubber ribbons. In HO. 1 is drawn in a highly schematic way a sewing machine S, which forms a part of said machine and is intended for sewing together overlapping ribbon ends so as to form ribbon rings, in such a manner, that the machine automatically cuts off selected lengths from the ribbon advanced to the machine, carries out said overlapping and passes the overlapping ribbon ends below the pressing foot of the sewing machine. Reference numeral 2 designates a stand for a device, which is included in the charging apparatus and treats ribbons not subjected to a finishing process so as to render the ribbons sufficiently uniform to be sewn in the automatic machine. Said device comprises a bearing casing 3 which supports a drive axle 4, on which a pulley 5 and a gear wheel 6 are mounted. The device further includes gear wheels 7 and 8 rotatably supported on axles 9 in the bearing casing 3. The gear Wheels 7 have a width corresponding to the width of the ribbons to be passed through the device and are driven in the same direction by intermediate gear wheels 8 with a smaller width. The drive axle 4 drives these gear wheels from a motor 10 via a belt ll. The

device further includes gear wheels 13, which are arranged in pairs with the gear wheels 7 and mounted by axles l4on axles l2 acting as eccentrics. On said axles l2, furthermore, are located axle journals 15 with an arm 16 supported thereon. An arm 17 connects one of the axle journals 15 with an eccentric 18 provided with a lever 19. By depressing the lever 19, the gear wheels 13 separate from the gear wheels 6, 7 an equal distance as wide as to move said gear wheels out of contact. The distance between the gear wheels (the backlash) is adjustable by means ofa screw 20 with a locking nut. Between the stand 2 and an arm 22 mounted on one of the axles 12, a spring is located which holds the arm l6 so as to press against the adjusting screw 20.

The device described above is so designed and arranged that ribbons which had not been passed through a finishing process and, therefore, are delivered in a crumpled, uneven, often twisted and distorted state, are given a satisfactory uniformity and finish. When the ribbon B passes through the gear wheel pairs, which must not be three in number as shown, but may comprise a suitable selected number, certain threads in the ribbon are stretched, irregularities are removed and the ribbon is thereby stabilized. Particularly for straightening twisted and distorted ribbons prior to their entrance between the gear wheel pairs, the ribbon is first passed through a straightening part 27. 29, 30, in which designates an arm, 29 a guide roller and 27 a number of pins, between which the ribbon is advanced.

The charging apparatus further comprises an arm 24 mounted on the stand 2 and carrying at its free end a roll 25. Subsequent to its exit from the gear wheel pairs, the ribbon is fed via a roll 26 downwards via the roll 25 and thereafter upwards via an additional roll 26 and further to an additional feed device comprised in the charging apparatus. Due to the stretching in the ribbon B, the arm 24 is lified and lowered and thereby actuates a micro-switch 23, which starts the motor 10 when the arms 24 is lifted and stops the motor when the arm 24 is lowered to its lowermost position shown in the Figurc.

The aforedescribed device comprises a two-armed lever 37, which is pivotal about a pivot and carries at one free end (the right-hand end in the Figure) two rolls 36 and on its other free end a roll 34. To said pivot 35 is hingedly connected a stiff wire acting as a balancing arm, the free end of which is formed to an eye 42. The lever 37 is actuated for pivotal movement about the pivot 35 by a pneumatic piston-cylinder means 39, which is supported by an axle journal 38 on the stand 1 and positively controlled by a valve means (not shown), which is controlled synchronously by the automatic system in the machine for assembling the rings. The feed device comprises further a guide bar 31, a card 32 and guide rollers 33.

in FIG. I is shown how the ribbon B is drawn through the feed device. The lever 37 performs for each charging of ribbon into the machine a pivotal movement, which each time is of such a size that a ribbon length is advanced which somewhat exceeds the length consumed by the machine for each ring. When the lever 37 is pivoted by the cylinder 39 in counter-clockwise direction. the ribbon portion drawn down about the rolls 36 is released, and the balancing arm 40 receives the ribbon length required for the ring to be manufactured. When thereafter the lever 37 is pressed upwards by the cylinder 39, the balancing arm 40 holds the ribbon so that it participates in the upward movement. When the left-hand arm of the lever 37 pivots upwards, the righthand arm pivots downwards and tensions the ribbon B between the card 32 and rolls 26 wherefore, said card 32 is necessarily provided with means which is effective to prevent reverse feeding of the ribbon at the location of the card. Owing to the resulting tension in the ribbon B the arm 24 is lifted and actuates the micro-switch so that the switch starts the motor 10. The gear wheels thereby advance ribbon until the micro-switch again breaks the feed between the teeth.

The feed device described above ensures that always a ribbon substantially free of tension is supplied to the machine. which is a prerequisite for obtaining rings of equal size. The precision achieved thereby in the manufacture of rings is very high. This feed device included in the charging apparatus operates. of course, irrespective of whether or not the ribbons have been subjected to a finishing process. For ribbons which have been passed through a finishing process, thus, the device with the gear wheel pairs in the charging apparatus is not required.

In order to improve still more the balancing of ribbons which have not been subjected to finishing. the teeth in one or all of the gear wheel pairs may be heated to a suitable temperature. A heating means may also be provided in another suitable place in the machine. In one embodiment, an arm is folded down synchronously with the operation of the machine against the ribbon in that place where the ribbon is cut off and overlapped. The arm here acts as a smoothing iron against the overlapped ribbon end.

What I claim is:

l. ln apparatus for feeding elastic ribbon material from a supply of such material to a machine for the automatic manufacture of annular ribbons from such ribbon material wherein said machine is of the type including means for cutting off a selected length of the ribbon and for then overlapping and joining the severed ends, the improvement comprising:

drive means for at times feeding ribbon from said source toward a carding means in the path of the advanced ribbon path which is effective to prevent the reverse feeding of said ribbon,

ribbon-feeding means at times effective on each cycle of annular ribbon manufacture to stretch the ribbon between the source and said carding means while concurrently advancing a predetermined length of unstretched ribbon which was previously fed through said carding means,

said ribbon feeding means being at other times effective on each cycle of annular ribbon manufacture to slacken said stretched ribbon while concurrently advancing through said carding means said predetermined length of ribbon,

and means responsive to the tension in the stretched ribbon between the source and said carding means for advancing ribbon from said source.

2. Apparatus for feeding elastic ribbon material to a machine for the automatic manufacture of annular ribbons from such ribbon material wherein said machine is of the type including means for cutting off a selected length of the ribbon and for then overlapping and joining the severed ends, the improvement comprising:

a. drive means for at times feeding a predetermined length of ribbon for each cycle of operation;

b. means for holding said ribbon length stretched during the advance thereof including carding means effective to prevent reverse feed of the advanced ribbon;

c. means arranged in the advanced ribbon path before said carding means for slackening said stretched advanced ribbon length;

d. means for stopping said drive means upon said slackening of the advanced ribbon length;

e. means arranged after said carding means for advancing said slackened ribbon past said carding means and for obtaining a ribbon length adapted for said annular ribbon and free of tension to ensure thereby a high degree of uniformity of successive ribbon length to cause successive annular ribbons to all be of the same size;

f. means for tensioning said advanced slackened ribbon after the forming of said adapted ribbon length; and

g. means for starting said drive means upon said tensioning.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said ribbon feeding apparatus includes,

a lever pivotally joumalled at an intermediate point between its free ends,

means for pivoting said lever between lower and upper limit positions of the free ends of the lever synchronously with said automatic system of said machine in such a way that one swinging movement is performed for each advance of a predetermined length of ribbon,

means on said lever at one end thereof and in engagement with the ribbon for intermittently advancing the ribbon. said last-named means holding the ribbon pressed down and under tension in said lower limit position of said one end and releasing the ribbon upon the swinging movement upwards towards said upper limit position of said one end.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said drive means includes co-operating elements, between which the ribbon is advanced for removing irregularities and the like in the ribbon.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said elements comprise gear wheels.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein heating means is associated with said gear wheels. 

1. In apparatus for feeding elastic ribbon material from a supply of such material to a machine for the automatic manufacture of annular ribbons from such ribbon material wherein said machine is of the type including means for cutting off a selected length of the ribbon and for then overlapping and joining the severed ends, the improvement comprising: drive means for at times feeding ribbon from said source toward a carding means in the path of the advanced ribbon path which is effective to prevent the reverse feeding of said ribbon, ribbon-feeding means at times effective on each cycle of annular ribbon manufacture to stretch the ribbon between the source and said carding means while concurrently advancing a predetermined length of unstretched ribbon which was previously fed through said carding means, said ribbon feeding means being at other times effective on each cycle of annular ribbon manufacture to slacken said stretched ribbon while concurrently advancing through said carding means said predetermined length of ribbon, and means responsive to the tension in the stretched ribbon between the source and said carding means for advancing ribbon from said source.
 2. Apparatus for feeding elastic ribbon material to a machine for the automatic manufacture of annular ribbons from such ribbon material wherein said machine is of the type including means for cutting off a selected length of the ribbon and for then overlapping and joining the severed ends, the improvement comprising: a. drive means for at times feeding a predetermined length of ribbon for each cycle of operation; b. means for holding said ribbon length stretched during the advance thereof including carding means effective to prevent reverse feed of the advanced ribbon; c. means arranged in the advanced ribbon path before said carding means for slackening said stretched advanced ribbon length; d. means for stopping said drive means upon said slackening of the advanced ribbon length; e. means arranged after said carding means for advancing said slackened ribbon past said carding means and for obtaining a ribbon length adapted for said annular ribbon and free of tension to ensure thereby a high degree of uniformity of successive ribbon length to cause successive annular ribbons to all be of the same size; f. means for Tensioning said advanced slackened ribbon after the forming of said adapted ribbon length; and g. means for starting said drive means upon said tensioning.
 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said ribbon feeding apparatus includes, a lever pivotally journalled at an intermediate point between its free ends, means for pivoting said lever between lower and upper limit positions of the free ends of the lever synchronously with said automatic system of said machine in such a way that one swinging movement is performed for each advance of a predetermined length of ribbon, means on said lever at one end thereof and in engagement with the ribbon for intermittently advancing the ribbon, said last-named means holding the ribbon pressed down and under tension in said lower limit position of said one end and releasing the ribbon upon the swinging movement upwards towards said upper limit position of said one end.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said drive means includes co-operating elements, between which the ribbon is advanced for removing irregularities and the like in the ribbon.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said elements comprise gear wheels.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein heating means is associated with said gear wheels. 